Foot steering apparatus for outboard motor boats



K. T. ROHRER Nov. 17, 1959' FOOT STEERING APPARATUS FOR OUTBOARD MOTOR BOATS Filed Dec. 5, 1957 INVENTOR. KARL 7'. ROHRER I v ATTORNEY United States Patent FOOT STEERING APPARATUS FOR OUTBOARD MOTOR BOATS Karl T. Rohrer, New Castle, Pa. Application December 5, 1957,.Serial No. 700,869 4 Claims. (Cl. 74'481) This invention relates to outboard motor boats and more particularly to a foot steering apparatus for con trolling the outboard motor used on such boats.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a foot steering apparatus for an outboard motor boat.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple, easily attached steering device for an outboard motor. 7

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a foot steering apparatus for an outboard motor boat arranged so that the operator may sit directly in front of the outboard motor within easy reach of the throttle lever.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a foot steering apparatus for an outboard motor boat which may be quickly and easily attached to a boat and outboard motor and equally easily removed therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a foot steering apparatus for an outboard motor boat utilizing a single foot pedal so arranged as to control the movement of the outboard motor from side to side as necessary in steering.

The foot steering apparatus for outboard motor boats disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art relating to such devices, particularly in that a simple and detachable apparatus is disclosed which may be quickly and easily attached to a rented boat, for example, and connected to a conventional outboard motor whereby the same may be steered by the operator sitting facing forward in the boat with his back to the motor as particularly suitable for a fisherman.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an outboard motor boat showing the foot steering apparatus installed therein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of portions of the boat shown in Figure l, with parts broken away and parts in cross section, illustrating the foot steering apparatus.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Figure 2 on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2 on an enlarged scale.

By referring to the drawing and Figure 1 in particular, it will be seen that a which has sides 11 and 12 and a transom 13. Seats 14 are positioned transversely of the boat and carried on the sides 11 and 12. An outboard motor 15 is clamped to the transom 13 by means of clamps 16, and the outboard motor 15 is provided with the usual tiller 17 which boat 10 has been disclosed ice is shown in retracted position. The outboard motor is provided with a forwardly "extending bracket 18.

A C-clamp 19, modified in that it includes a pair of clamping members 20 and 21, is secured by the clamping member 21 to the bracket 18, as best seen in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawing. The C-clamp 19 is also secured to a flexible cable 22 by means of the clamping member 21. The flexible cable 22 as well as the G-clamp 19 forms a portion of the foot steering apparatus. The one end of the flexible cable 22 is secured to a spring 23, the spring 23 in turn being secured at its opposite end to the side 12 of the boat adjacent the transom 13.

The flexible cable 22 is trained through a pulley 24 which is attached to the side '11 of the boat adjacent the transom 13, as best seen in Figure 2 of the drawing. From that point, the cable 22 extends forwardly along the side 11 and passes around a sheave '25 which in turn is rotatably mounted on an arm 26 which also carries a pedal 27 on its lower end. The flexible cable 22 passes around the sheave 25 andhas its end portion attached to a portion 28 engaged on the side 11 of the boat rearwardly from the arm 26. The arm 26 is journaled in a modified H-shaped mounting bracket 29 and positioned through oppositely disposed openings 3030 in the upper portion of the H-shaped mounting bracket 29 while a manually movable clamp 31 is threadably engaged in a threaded opening in one portion of the lower parts of the modified H-shaped bracket 29 so that the clamp 31 may be engaged against the side of the boat, as in Figure 3 of the drawing, to the end that the modified H-shaped bracket 29 may be held securely on the side 11 of the boat.

It will thus be seen that the arrangement of the flexible cable 22, spring 23, pedal 27 and the modified C- clamp 19 is such that when the arm 26 is in vertical position, the outboard motor 15 is pointed straight ahead or in line with the longitudinal axis of the boat 10. When the pedal 27 is pushed forwardly, the arm 26 moves the sheave 25 which imparts a reduced motion to the cable 22 and moves the bracket 18 of the outboard motor 15 to the left, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, thereby causing the boat 10 to turn to its left.

When the pedal 27 is permittted to move backwardly, the cable 22 moves backwardly as urged by the spring 23, the bracket 18 on the outboard motor 15 moves to the right as in Figure 2 of the drawing, and the boat 10 turns to its right.

It will thus be seen that a fisherman in the boat can steer the boat entirely by means of the single pedal 27 by simply moving it forwardly or allowing it to move backwardly, as urged by the spring 23.

It will be seen that a simple and efiicient apparatus for steering a boat has been disclosed and which apparatus is so devised that it may be quickly and easily installed on a boat and equally easily removed therefrom. It is thus particularly useful for the fisherman who rents a boat and who attaches his outboard motor thereto. The flexible cable 22 and spring 23 may be secured to the boat by means of C-clamps (not shown), if desired, rather than the eyelets illustrated which are engaged on the boat proper.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. Foot steering apparatus for an outboard motor on a boat comprising in combination a clamp engaged on said outboard motor, a bracket engageable on said boat at a point remote from said motor, an arm carried by said bracket in depending relation thereto and a pedal on the free end of said arm, a sheave on said arm intermediate said bracket and pedal, a spring attached to said boad adjacent said outboard motor, a pulley attached to said boat, a flexible cable secured to said spring, said flexible cable positioned through said pulley and over said sheave and secured to said boat so that movement of said pedal in one direction moves said flexible cable and said outboard motor in a corresponding direction and movement of said pedal in the opposite direction permits said spring to move the cable and the outboard motor in the opposite direction.

2. The foot steering apparatus for an outboard motor set forth in claim 1 and wherein the clamp engaged on the outboard motor is a modified C-clamp including two movable clamping members, one of which is engaged on said outboard motor and the other of which is engaged on said flexible cable.

3. The foot steering apparatus for an outboard motor set forth in claim 1 and wherein the bracket supporting said pedal comprises a modified H-shaped member having oppositely disposed openings in the upper portion thereof journaling a horizontal portion of said arm, and a movable fastener positioned through one portion of the lower part thereof and engaging said boat.

4. Steering apparatus for an outboard motor boat having an outboard motor clamped to the transom thereof and comprising an extensible spring secured to one side of the boat adjacent the transom, a pulley secured to Q the other side of the boat adjacent the transom, a flexible cable connected to said extensible spring and extending parallel to said transom through said pulley and forwardly along one side of said boat, pedal means clamped to said side of said boat, said flexible cable engaged by said pedal means for movement thereby, a modified C- clamp having two movable clamping members therein disposed at right angles to one another, one of said clamping members engaging said outboard motor and the other of said clamping members engaging said flexible cable at a point immediately in front of said outboard motor and arranged so that movement of said pedal backwardly and forwardly of said boat moves said clamp transversely of said boat to impart steering motion to said outboard motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Brown May 17, 1949 Jones Mar. 17, 1953 Ball Oct. 6, 1953 Daniels Dec. 13, 1955 Amick June 12, 1956 

